Ratings & Rankings
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Colored bars represent the range of average firm ratings. Black line is this firm's rating.

Insider Rating

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Overall
Firm vs. all biglaw

Minimum

5.13

Mean

6.06

Maximum

8.91

Compensation

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Overall
Firm vs. all biglaw

Minimum

4.14

Mean

7.68

Maximum

9.67

Hours

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Overall
Firm vs. all biglaw

Minimum

4.11

Mean

5.71

Maximum

9

Training

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Overall
Firm vs. all biglaw

Minimum

3.38

Mean

5.74

Maximum

10

Culture & Colleagues

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Overall
Firm vs. all biglaw

Minimum

5.77

Mean

6.16

Maximum

9.6

Firm Morale

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Overall
Firm vs. all biglaw

Minimum

3.93

Mean

5.03

Maximum

9.83

More Ratings

Hours ExpectationStated/Real

2000 /2000

Compensation

A+

Hours

A+

Training

A+

Culture & Colleagues

A+

Firm Morale

A+

Chambers Top Departments

Capital Markets
Corporate/M&A

What do these ratings mean?

from Brian Dalton, Breaking Media Director of Research

The ATL School and Firm Insiders Survey asks self-identified current students,
alumni, and practicing lawyers to rate major aspects of life at their law school (academics, social
life, clinical training, career services, financial aid advising) and/or law firm (compensation,
hours, morale, culture, training). We then translate these ratings into letter grades, where the
mean score for each particular ratings category is the equivalent of a “B.”

We require a minimum threshold of responses for each institution before we publish any survey-based
ratings content. Using a standard formula for statistical validity, we adhere to a threshold that
gives us an 85% confidence level and a 10% margin of error. The precise threshold number will of
course vary depending on the size of the individual institution. For example, for a law firm of
1,000 attorneys, we would require 50 responses in order to publish ratings for the firm.

Top Practice by Headcount and Top Schools data is provided by
Leopard Solutions. Leopard Solutions
is a leading provider of attorney data to legal recruiters, law firms and law schools. We track
attorneys in over 1500 law firms around the country and document their practice area, specialties,
honors, languages advanced degrees and more. We provide an overview of each law firm as well as
detailed information on individual attorneys. The data can be used to track trends, movements,
growth and more.

Leverage is the number of attorneys minus equity partners, divided by equity partners.

Salaries & Compensation

Advances, Bonuses, Benefits & Stipends for First-Years

Insider Reviews

Entrepreneurial to the point of ruthlessness. Very feudal – little interaction between departments. Excellent clients and top notch work assignments.

Midlevel Associate

Financial Restructuring is outstanding group and a wonderful team!

Of Counsel

Over the past couple of years the firm has dedicated a lot of resources to the Associate Development and Training areas and we have seen some steady gains in firm morale as a result. We may not be all the way there yet, but we are continuing to work on it.

* It seems that a lawyer in Nebraska lost his “special pen” at the courthouse, and he’d really like it to be returned to him. It’s not just any pen — it’s a $500 Montblanc Meisterstück. Help this man get his prestigious pen back. [Omaha World-Herald]

* “Being in the law school business looked like a good idea. Those days are over.” Enrollment continues to decline at law schools across the country, and in Virginia, class sizes are about 20 percent smaller than they were in 2011. [Roanoke Times]

* Given the fact that children’s vaccinations have become a topic presidential candidates are debating, you should know that almost half the states allow anti-vaxxer parents to opt-out. Thanks for the measles, everyone! [WSJ Law Blog]

* Being a former partner of a firm that’s flopped ain’t easy. Ex-Howrey partners find themselves haunted by the failed firm’s “phantom” funds, and now they’re going to court to fight their tax liabilities. [Am Law Daily]

* Silly Cadwalader! You’re not the “oldest law firm in the United States.” Neither are you, Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald. That title goes to Rawle & Henderson, a firm that’s been around since 1783. [ABA Journal]

* If you’d like to work at a firm that’s being touted for its anti-Biglaw culture, you might want to take a look at Tandem Legal Group. You won’t ever have to wear a tie at this “fun” and “cool” place. [Washington Post]

* Jason Bohn, the Florida Law grad accused of murder — who also happens to be the guy who was once featured in an NYT article about the perils of law school — has apparently killed before. [New York Post]

* Nicki Minaj is being sued for $30 million by the man who once served as her “wig guru.” Having absolutely nothing to do with the case, imagine being so obscenely rich that you could employ a “wig guru.” [CNN]

* The Supreme Court has been “surprising[ly] silent” when it comes to how to apply Obamacare’s contraception mandate to religious non-profits. We imagine at least one justice will raise hell about it during their first judicial conference of 2014. [Los Angeles Times]

* Contrary to what was apparently popular belief by some, Justice Sonia Sotomayor doesn’t wear dentures. She was very candid about her oral hygiene at a recent speaking event — her teeth are so great because she’s had a lot of work done on them. [Washington Post]

* In your face, Cravath! James Woolery is movin’ on up to officially taking the rein at Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft. Fun fact: Chuck Woolery of “Love Connection” is his distant cousin. [Am Law Daily]

* The U.S. Attorney’s office Chris Christie used to be in charge of will investigate Bridgegate. Word on the street is that the governor had just finished reading War and Peace when he heard the news. [Bloomberg]

* Sumner Redstone donated $10 million to Harvard Law School so that its graduates can pursue public interest careers — because otherwise they’d be too poor to “build a better world.” [National Law Journal]